Inflatable cushion

ABSTRACT

A portable cushion has a first chamber formed from an upper sheet and a lower sheet sealed to the upper sheet along three edges, and a resealable closure extending between the upper sheet and lower sheet along a fourth edge to create an air-impermeable pocket when the closure is sealed. There is a second chamber formed from an upper sheet and a lower sheet sealed to the upper sheet along three edges, and a resealable closure extending between the upper sheet and lower sheet along a fourth edge to create an air-impermeable pocket when the closure is sealed. The second chamber is connected to one of the three edges of the first chamber along one of the three edges of the second chamber, to form a two-part cushion having a hinge between the two chambers. The cushion can be filled with air by waving each chamber through the air while the respective fourth edge is in an open position, and then sealing the respective closure element when air has entered the chamber.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Applicant claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application Ser. No. 62/357,334 filed Jun. 30, 2016, thedisclosure of which is incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is related to an inflatable cushion. Inparticular, the invention relates to seat cushion that is comprised ofan outer covering that can be filled with air, either by an inflationvalve or by waiving the open end of the covering through the air, andthen sealing the open end. The cushion has two parts separated by aseam, so that the two parts form a seat part and a backrest part.

2. The Prior Art

Inflatable seat cushions have been in use for a long time. For exampleU.S. Pat. No. 3,112,956 to Schick et al. discloses an inflatable seatcushion having an attached backrest. The cushions are formed from heatsealed cells that are connected so that they fill evenly when inflatedvia an air inlet. The problem with this device is that it can take a lotof effort and time to inflate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an inflatable seatcushion that is simple and quick to inflate and deflate. It is anotherobject of the invention to provide an inflatable seat cushion that isinexpensive to manufacture and easy to transport.

These and other objects of the invention are accomplished by a portablecushion comprising a first chamber formed from an upper sheet and alower sheet sealed to the upper sheet along three edges, and aresealable closure extending between the upper sheet and lower sheetalong a fourth edge to create an air-impermeable pocket when the closureis sealed. There is a second chamber formed from an upper sheet and alower sheet sealed to the upper sheet along three edges, and aresealable closure extending between the upper sheet and lower sheetalong a fourth edge to create an air-impermeable pocket when the closureis sealed. The second chamber is connected to one of the three edges ofthe first chamber along one of the three edges of the second chamber, toform a two-part cushion having a hinge between the two chambers.

Preferably the upper and lower sheets are formed from plastic. The uppersheet of the first and second chambers can be formed from a single sheetthat has a heat-sealed seam between the two chambers. The same goes forthe second sheet, so that the two sheets need only be connected alongtheir outer edges. Preferably, the fourth edges of the two chambers aredisposed on opposite sides of the cushion, but other arrangements couldbe used as well.

Preferably, the resealable closure is in the form of a snap fit closureextending along the entire fourth edge. Such a snap-fit closure iscommon among resealable plastic bags, such as those marketed under theZiploc® trademark. In another embodiment, the resealable closure canhave the form of an actual zipper closure that seals the snap-fitcomponents together. In yet another embodiment, the closure element canbe a resealable adhesive. Finally, in another embodiment, the closureelement is formed from a hook-and-loop type closure system that engageswhen the fourth edge is rolled around itself at least once.

The cushion according to the invention is easily portable since it canbe deflated and folded or rolled up into a very small package. Toinflate the chambers, one needs only to wave each chamber through theair until a small amount of air is captured in the chamber, and thenseal the chamber with the resealable closure element. The second chamberis inflated in the same manner. This inflation method is effectivebecause only a small amount of air is required to make the cushioneffective. There is no need to completely fill the chambers, asover-filling would make the cushion uncomfortable and prone to breakage.Alternatively, an inflation valve can also be provided if the user wantsto inflate the chambers via blowing.

The cushion according to the invention could also be filled with cold orwarm water and used as a compress for injuries.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparentfrom the following detailed description considered in connection withthe accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that thedrawings are designed as an illustration only and not as a definition ofthe limits of the invention.

In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote similarelements throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 shows a top view of the cushion according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows the method of inflation of the cushion;

FIG. 3 shows a side view of the cushion in an inflated state; and

FIG. 4 shows the cushion in use in an automobile seat.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now in detail to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows the cushion 10according to the invention. Cushion 10 comprises a top sheet 11connected to a bottom sheet 12 along side edges 13, 14, and along seam15 to create two chambers 16, 17. A fourth edge 18, 19 of each chamber16, 17 is closeable with a resealable closure element in the form of asnap-fit closure 20, 21. As shown in FIG. 2, chambers 16, 17 areinflatable with air simply by waving them through the air with fourthedge 18, 19 fully opened, and then sealing edge 18, 19 via closure 20,21. An inflated cushion 10 is shown in FIG. 3. The two chambers 16, 17can be used to form a seat cushion and a back cushion for a user whentraveling or sitting in uncomfortable seating arrangements. Use ofcushion 10 by a user 30 sitting in an automobile seat having a seatsection 26 and a backrest section 25 is shown in FIG. 4.

The cushion according to the invention is inexpensive, easily portable,and simple to inflate. It can be used in many different environments,such as stadiums, airplane seats, car seats, doctor's offices, etc. Itcan also be used in the medical field as a quick hot or cold compress ifthe chambers are filled with warm or cold water instead of air.

Accordingly, while only a few embodiments of the present invention havebeen shown and described, it is obvious that many changes andmodifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A portable cushion comprising: a first chamberformed from an upper sheet and a lower sheet sealed to the upper sheetalong three edges, and a resealable closure extending between the uppersheet and lower sheet along a fourth edge to create an air-impermeablepocket when the closure is sealed; and a second chamber formed from anupper sheet and a lower sheet sealed to the upper sheet along threeedges, and a resealable closure extending between the upper sheet andlower sheet along a fourth edge to create an air-impermeable pocket whenthe closure is sealed, the second chamber being connected to one of thethree edges of the first chamber along one of the three edges of thesecond chamber.
 2. The portable cushion according to claim 1, whereinthe upper and lower sheets are formed from plastic.
 3. The portablecushion according to claim 1, wherein the resealable closure is in theform of a snap fit closure extending along the entire fourth edge. 4.The portable cushion according to claim 1, wherein the resealableclosure is in the form of a zipper closure.
 5. The portable cushionaccording to claim 1, wherein the closure element is formed fromresealable adhesive.
 6. The portable cushion according to claim 1,wherein the closure element is formed from a hook-and-loop type closuresystem that engages when the fourth edge is rolled around itself atleast once.
 7. The portable cushion according to claim 1, wherein theupper sheet of the first chamber and the upper sheet of the secondchamber are formed in one piece, and wherein the lower sheet of thefirst chamber and the lower sheet of the second chamber are formed inone piece.
 8. The portable cushion according to claim 1, wherein thefourth edge of the second chamber is disposed on an opposite side of thecushion from the fourth edge of the first chamber.